Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a public statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this process,” the athletic director said.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the direct meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a targeted social media push over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions has been unacceptable,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further highlighted the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
